Thriller
by Vela Cruze
Summary: It was a dark stormy and almost uneventful night. But that was before he showed up.
1. Chapter 1

Thriller

17 year old Alex Campbell draped the blanket across her legs and settled down on the couch to watch a little TV. She had shoulder length brown hair with golden highlights and brown eyes. "This is going to be the most boring night in the history of ever!" she said falling back onto the couch. Alex was alone that night. Her father was out working late as usual and she stuck at home all by herself. She flipped through the channels before finally settling on an old cartoon. Before she knew it, however, she had fallen fast asleep. Outside, the dark night sky was steadily growing darker. The distant thunder suddenly boomed, waking Alex from her slumber. She fell from the couch completely surprised. "Great." She said groaning. She sat up and rubbed her head. Thunderstorms already freaked her out. And the knocking on the door wasn't making it any better. She walked over to a window and peeked outside. Laying on the stoop was a small boy wearing tattered clothes. He had a book over his head to shelter him from the pelting rain. "Oh goodness." She opened the door and the boy fell into the house.

"Hey! I was taking a good nap! What the heck did you wake me up for?" the boy yelled. His black hair was matted to his head. Rainwater was sliding down his pale skin and the only visible green eye looked so tired.

"Well it was raining on you. You could've caught a cold sleeping out there." Alex said, "Now come in out the rain." She stood and shut the door behind the boy. She took his hand and led him into the living room.

"Here's a blanket." She said putting it around his shoulders, "Now you wait here while I find you some dry clothes."

He settled on the couch under the blanket while Alex searched through some old clothes in the attic. After a few minutes she returned, "Here. These are my cousin's old clothes from when he was about your size." She handed him the black hoodie with the Hurly logo on it a pair of blue jeans, "The bathroom is right upstairs to your left." She said pointing toward the steps. When he returned, Alex smiled, "Hey you look good." She said smiling, "So what's your name?"

The boy looked at her suspiciously, "Shade."

"I'm Alex. Now about your hair…" she said putting her fingers through his tangled mass.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Shade asked pulling back.

"You were all alone outside. I couldn't just leave you there. Now how do you usually wear your hair?"

"Spiked."

"Have a seat. Let's see what we can do for you." She stood in front of him and pushed his hair away from his eyes. She gasped when she caught sight of his left eye. A scar was over it and she could tell he was blind in that eye.

"Well are you going to fix my hair or are you going to stand there and stare at my eye?" Shade crossed his arms and looked at her.

"I-I'm sorry." She said completely embarrassed. She went to work on his hair and after awhile, it was in its normal spiked position. "There now. All done." Alex set the comb down and smiled.

Shade slid out of the chair and looked in a mirror. He picked up the comb and began combing part of his hair down, covering his bad eye. "Now it's done."

He turned to Alex who was staring at him, "What?" he asked.

"What happened?"

"I knew you were going to ask." He said shaking his head, "I was just a kid back in the mamodo world. I was playing around with another kid and he hit me in the eye with a spell."

"Spell? Are you some kind of witch?" Alex asked.

"Are you?"

Alex shook her head, "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"I guess you can stay here tonight." She said standing, "I'll help you find your parents tomorrow."

"I don't have any parents." Shade said simply.

"No family at all?"

He shook his head, "Nope. Don't look so sad. It's okay. I'm used to being alone." He said.

"Well, Shade. You're not alone. Not anymore." As soon as she finished speaking, the navy blue book Shade had earlier begun to glow.

"What the heck is that?" Alex turned to the couch and picked up the book. The navy blue light grew brighter as she opened it.

"Hey, don't mess with that!" Shade said reaching for it. She pulled the book away from his grasp.

"I can read it." She said, "K-keazuk…"

"No!" Shade yelled but it was too late. His green eyes glowed brightly and he gathered a large amount of black energy in his hands. He fired it at the wall creating a large hole.

Alex looked at the little boy startled, "What was that?"

Shade's eyes returned to normal, "Why did you do that?" he demanded.

"I-I didn't know that would happen." She said closing the book and hugging it close to her chest, "What are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Thriller

"Give me the book!" Shade said extending his hand.

"Not until you tell me what you are." She pulled away from him; her eyes were mixed with fear and uncertainty.

Shade sighed, "I am a mamodo."

"What's that?"

"Other mamodos like me have come to this world to fight. The last mamodo standing will become king of our world."

"So you don't live on earth or anything?"

Shade shook his head, "Nope. Once the battle is over, I'll go back to the mamodo world."

Alex looked down at the book, "So this book helps you fight?"

"That's right. I told you about me so hand over the book." Shade said leaping at her. She pulled back again. Opening up the book caused Shade to yell, "No! Don't read another spell!" he said.

"Don't worry. I've already got to explain that hole to my dad." She scanned the page, "Keazuk…" her mind whispered. It was strange. This was the only page she could read.

She handed him the book. "Thank you." He said tucking it under his arm.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked looking at him curiously.

"What?"

"Why can't I read the other pages?" she asked.

"You weren't supposed to be able to read the first page…unless…" Shade looked down at his book.

"Unless what?"

"Unless you're my book owner." He handed her the book, "Let's see if that was just a fluke."

"No way. I won't read this in the house." She said.

"Please. I have to know for sure." Shade pleaded.

Looking around the room, Alex spotted a window. "Come here." She said walking over to it. He followed her and she opened the window. "Aim outside."

Obeying her order, he stuck his hands out of the window. She opened his book and the navy blue light began to shine again. "Keazuk!" She yelled.

Shade's eyes glowed brightly again and black energy fired from his hands. "Cool so you really are my book owner!" Shade said as he returned to normal.

She closed the book and looked down at Shade, "So what happens now?"

"We fight other mamodos. Together and hopefully I will become king." Shade looked up at her, "Hey what's the matter?"

"How am I going to explain this to my dad? Look, I'll hide you in my room tonight and tomorrow, I'll…come up with something to tell my father." She led him upstairs and unrolled her sleeping bag, "You can sleep here tonight. Now stay here." She tossed a pillow from her bed onto the sleeping bag, "I just heard my dad downstairs. I'll be back in a few minutes." She sighed and went downstairs, "Hi daddy!"

"Hey pumpkin. How was your night?"

"It was all right…"

"How did that hole get there?" He walked over and examined the hole.

"That was my fault dad. I was tossing my basketball around the living room."

"I've told you time and time again not to do that."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'll see what I can do with it in the morning. I'm tired. Good Night Alex."

"Night dad."

She followed him upstairs and went into her bedroom. She spotted Shade sprawled out on the sleeping bag. Alex smiled and shook his head. She tucked him under the sleeping bag then got into bed and went to sleep herself. The bright sun woke her the next morning. She yawned as Shade jumped on the bed with her. "Wake up!" he said squeezing her cheeks together.

"I'm awake, Shade." She said swatting his hands away.

"Alex, breakfast!" Her dad called.

She sat up, "I'll fix double for you." She said getting out of bed.

"Why don't you just take me down there?" Shade said bouncing on her bed, "Your dad is going to find out about me sooner or later."

"I don't know Shade. What if he won't let me keep you?"

"What am I a dog?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"What's the worst that could happen? Come on. I'm hungry." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. Her father was there placing a plate of food at her usual spot at the table. She walked around the corner, holding Shade's hand. "Al! Break—there you are. Who are you?" he asked directing his attention to the mamodo.

"Um he's my younger sibling, Shade. I volunteered to do the Big Sibling program at school. He showed up last night. I hope its okay that he spent the night. It was late and he gotten lost trying to find the house so I just let him stay." Alex said, hoping her father would buy the lie.

He shrugged, "Do your parents know where you are, Shade, isn't it?"

"But I don't…"before he could finish Alex nudged him, "Yes sir. My parents know I am here."

"Then it' okay with me. Have a seat and I'll fix you a plate."

Shade sat in the chair next to Alex and they began eating. Alex's father switched on a small TV on the counter then sat at the head of table. The morning news was proving to be a bore to Alex. She pushed her eggs to one side of her plate then glanced at Shade. He had his fork in his mouth and was staring hard at the TV screen. "Much of the southern district of town has been shut down due to recent destruction caused by what appears to be two teenagers. Citizens have been evacuated and the district has been sealed off…" The anchor announced.  
Shade's eyes grew wider as the anchor continued reporting the damage. When she moved on to another story, Shade looked over at Alex, "We gotta go. It's another mamodo. I can feel it." He whispered to her.

Alex looked at Shade, "Another one?"

"I told you others came here to fight too." He answered.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, and then stood, "Well, Shade, are you ready to go home?" Alex asked.

"Go home? What…Oh right yeah. I'm ready to go home." He said standing.

"Then let's get a move on." She said. She ran upstairs and grabbed Shade's spell book. "Bye dad!" She yelled jumping down the last couple of stairs. "Al! Be careful and don't go near the south district."

"Okay." She shouted running out the door with Shade at her heels. Once they arrived at the southern part of town, they found what appeared to be the swat team guarding the barriers sealing off the area. "That's just great. Now what?" Shade whispered.

Alex looked around, "We're going to need a distraction." Spying a rock, she picked it up and tossed it behind the barriers. But it only caught the attention of one of the police officers. "Well that didn't go like I thought." Alex sighed.

"I've got an idea." He took the spell book and opened it, "Read a spell." He said turning around.

"Aim for those trees." She said. The blue light began to shine, "Keazuk!" she shouted.

Shade fired the attack into the cluster of trees. The police officers surrounded the trees leaving the barriers open. "Let's move!" Alex shouted picking Shade up and running into the southern district. As soon as they were safely out of sight, she set Shade down and looked around. "Who did this?" she asked.

"I don't know. But let's find out." He began exploring through the debris. In the distance, Shade could make out the sound of a spell being cast.

"Daezuk!"

"It can't be!" he shouted standing. Through the dust, he could make out the figure of another mamodo and his partner.

"But it is little brother. It is." The voice said.

"Who is that?" Alex asked looking at the new team.

"It's Dae…my brother."


End file.
